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Yugambal (Yugumbal, Jukambal), or Yugumbil (Jukambil), is an Australian Aboriginal language of northern New South Wales.

Macpherson (1905) describes the Yugambal language as prevailing from Boggy Camp and Inverell, almost to Bingara on the west, Bundarra on the south, and Tingha on the south-east. He further notes that the Ngarrabul, Marbul, and Yugambal people understood each other, as did Ngarrabul, Kwiambal and Yugambal, so they are assumed to have spoken dialects of a single language. Dixon (1976; 2004) also gives Ngarrabul or Ngarrbal as a dialect of the Yugambal language.

Yugambal may have been a Kuric language. However, it has been confused with the Bundjalung dialect of Yugambeh in the literature, muddling accounts of its classification.

The status of the language is uncertain. Some known language speakers, including Sira Draper, Hughie Green and Archie Green, were alive in the mid-to-late 20th century. However, it is unknown whether there are any other speakers.

There is little description of the language. RH Matthews published a basic grammar of the Yugambal language in 1902, while word lists for Tenterfield, Glen Innes and Ashford provide limited data of the Ngarrabul, Kwiambal and Marbul dialects. John Macpherson (1902; 1904; 1930; 1931; 1934; 1939) and Thomas Wyndham (1889; 1895) lived amongst Yugambal and Ngarrabul people for some time, and published records of Yugambal and Ngarrabul vocabulary, as well as cultural and religious practices and traditions. There are also many unpublished notebooks of John Macpherson and other researchers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries that contain records of the Yugambal language.

References

1. ^ E11 Yugambal at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies  (see the info box for additional links)
2. Macpherson, J. (1905). Ngarrabul and other Aboriginal Tribes. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, 29, 677 - 684
3. Dixon, RMW (1976). Grammatical Categories in Australian Languages. Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies: Canberra
4. Dixon, RMW. (2004). Australian Languages, Their Nature and Development, Volume 1. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge UK.
5. Austin, P. (1993). A Reference Grammar of Gamilaraay, Northern NSW. Retrieved 13 February 2014 from: https://www.academia.edu/2457676/A_Reference_Grammar_of_Gamilaraay_northern_New_South_Wales
6. Howell, R. 1983, The History and Culture of the Aboriginal People of the Ashford District, D West Government Printers: NSW.
7. Mathews, Robert Hamilton. 1902. "The Yookumbill language". Appendix to "The Thoorga language", Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of Qld 17:49–73.
8. Curr, Edward M. 1886-1887. The Australian Race: Its Origin, Languages, Customs, Place of Landing in Australia, and the Routes by Which It Spread Itself Over That Continent, Melbourne, John Ferres, Government Printer, Vol. 3, p. 78
9. Macpherson, J. (1902). "Ngarrabul and other Aboriginal tribes. 1: Medical and surgical practice." Proceedings of the Linnean Society of NSW, 27 (4), 637–647.
10. Macpherson, J. (1902). "Ngarrabul and other Aboriginal tribes 2: Distribution of the tribes." Proceedings of the Linnean Society of NSW, 29 (4), 677–684
11. Macpherson, J. (1930). "Some Aboriginal place names in northern New South Wales." Royal Australian Historical Society Journal and Proceedings, 16 (2), 120–131.
12. Macpherson, J. (1931). "Some Aboriginal animal names." Australian Zoologist. 6(10), 368–371.
13. Macpherson, J. (1934). "Some words from the New England vocabularies." Mankind, 1(10), 235–236.
14. Macpherson, J. (1939). "The eucalyptus in the daily life and medical practice of the Australian Aborigines." Mankind, 2(6): 175–180.
15. Wyndham, W.T. (1889). "The Aborigines of Australia." Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales, 23, 36–42
16. Wyndham, W.T. (1895). "The food of the Aborigines." The Queenslander, Saturday 16 November 1895, p. 938)

External links

• Jukambal (NSW) at SW Museum archives

• Extinct languages of New South Wales
• Yuin–Kuric languages